The next section of scripture is an annual report that was likely recorded on the large plates of Nephi by a very diligent record-keeper. At the end of every year, a scribe would record a summary of what happened that year on the large plates of Nephi. Mormon usually abridged or summarized the details from these records. Therefore, we do not have many verbatim copies of these annual reports.
The report in verses 7–13, however, is such a beautiful and important annual report that we most likely have it in its entirety and, I think, in its perfect original form. What reason would Mormon have had to modify this annual record? It’s not too long. It states the essence of the year’s main events. It was a gem of a record. This annual report is also written in a pure chiastic form. This chiasm is not only brilliant—it is also a beautifully written annual report. Some scribe, over two thousand years ago, decided he was going to write into the records of eternity this amazing development of freedom of travel that took place in the sixty-fourth year of the reign of judges. He did a wonderful job of writing the summary by using the ancient chiastic literary form. The natural balance inherent in a chiastic structure perfectly represents, in a literary way, the newly instituted balance between these two lands. It is one of the best examples of chiasmus in the Book of Mormon. On top of its equally matched details in the first and second halves, the central turning point of this chiasm works even better in Hebrew than in English—where “the Lord” and the name “Zedekiah,” with its theophoric suffix –iah, meaning “Jehovah” or “the Lord,” dominate the central focal point of the chiasm.
The chiastic structure is as follows:
Figure 2 John W. Welch and Greg Welch, "Chiasmus in Helaman 6:7-13," in Charting the Book of Mormon, chart 13.
Notice that, in verse 7, the annual report and the chiasm begin with peace in the land. The report and chiasm ends in verse 13 with peace.
After the peace, there is mention in verse 8 that the people now for the first time have freedom of travel and trade in both lands. This correlates nicely with economic prosperity in both lands in verse 12.
As a result of their prosperity, both the Lamanites and Nephites became rich—a statement made in parallel at the beginning (in verse 9) and end of the report (in verse 11).
The extent of their riches is also described in parallel phrases. The statement that there was plenty of gold and silver and precious metal in boththe land north and the land south (at the end of verse 9) is coupled with the report that there was all manner of gold, silver, and precious ore in both these lands (at the beginning of verse 11).
Verse 10 marks the absolute middle of the chiasm. Notice all ten of the chiastic parallelisms in this one verse: It states, “Now the (a) land south was called (b) Lehi, and the (c) land north (d) Mulek, which was after the son of (e) Zedekiah, for the (e) Lord did bring (d) Mulek into the (c) land north and (b) Lehi into the (a) land south.”
Remember, up to this point if anybody wanted to travel from one land to another land, he would be forced back home as soon as he started to move out. If a Nephite or Lamanite stepped on foreign soil, he could be killed on the spot or imprisoned or taken before the king of that land. Now, both Nephites and Lamanites had freedom to travel between Nephite and Lamanite territory.
The logic for the change in policy is expressed in verse 10 (the center of the chiasm). Since the Lord brought people into both lands, the Lord intended both lands to be filled with people. There was a reciprocity in the dealings of the Lord with the people in both lands. Therefore, the people should legitimately be allowed to travel between lands. A theological justification was offered for this revolutionary freedom of travel policy.
If the parallelism is to be complete, how can “Zedekiah” stand as the parallel to “Lord”in this chiasm? For one thing, both Zedekiah and the Lord are kings. More compelling is the fact that the name “Zedekiah” is linguistically based on two Hebrew words: “Zedek” means “righteous” and “iah” (yah) is the theophoric suffix that means “Jehovah” or “the Lord.”So, Zedekiah’s name means “righteous is the Lord.” This results in the word “Lord” being mentioned in immediate succession at the center of this chiasm.
I noticed this chiasm for the first time in March, 1987, and it was published in May, 1987 as a FARMS Update, and soon was made widely available in the 1992 compilation Reexploring the Book of Mormon. I mention this timing because I remember well the late Wednesday night when this chiasmus came to my awareness. I was the bishop of the BYU 36th ward, and students needed interviews with the bishop for many reasons as the end of the winter semester approached. All the other students had come punctually on time. One in the middle of my scheduled list was still missing. It was getting late. I was tired, and I needed to teach my Honors Book of Mormon class the next morning. I decided to wait, as long as it took. I opened my copy of the Book of Mormon and sat on the couch in the apartment lobby and began to read the next day’s assignment, which spilled over from Helaman 5 into Helaman 6. This annual report separated itself from the surrounding text as a treasure left by an unnamed but very diligent ancient scribe. When the young man sheepishly stuck his head into the lobby, I invited him in. I told him that the Lord had just blessed us both by him being a little late. I shared with him what I had just found. We had a great interview, in spite of his worries. I hope this text has meant as much to him as it has to me all these thirty-three years later.
Book of Mormon Central, “Why Was Chiasmus Used in Nephite Record Keeping? (Helaman 6:10),” KnoWhy 177 (August 31, 2016).
John W. Welch and J. Gregory Welch, “Helaman as Chief Judge,” in Charting the Book of Mormon, (FARMS, 1999), chart 133
John W. Welch, “Chiasmus in Helaman 6:7–13,” in Reexploring the Book of Mormon: A Decade of New Research, ed. John W. Welch (Salt Lake City and Provo, UT: Deseret Book and FARMS, 1992), 230–232.